CP+ 2014: Selected highlights of the show

CP+ 2014: Highlights of the show

The CP+ show in Yokohama Japan has closed, but we've still got plenty of content in the pipeline including more interviews with senior executives from the major camera manufacturers which we'll be publishing over the coming few days.

Until then, we've prepared a look at some of the highlights from this years' show including a miniature model of Yokohama (above), lots and lots of very real snow, and plenty of things that had been cut in half. Oh - and some cameras.

Looking at those wafers I just wish someone would just cut them into 6 cm x 6 cm squares and put it into a camera back that I can use with my Hasselblad V-series! I'm sure people with 6x7 and 4x5 cameras are thinking the same.

It has been bugging me for a while but I kept silent. But now I have to say it : I hate this format of presentation !! (slideshow of images with a little commentary below). I much prefer a continuous article.

Difficult to get your hands on the X-T1 at CP+ ??You should have come to the Fuji showroom in Roppongi (Tokyo): they have 4 in permanent demonstration that you can play with, featuring the 10-24 f4 OIS, the 56mm f1.2 and the 16-55mm zoom.No queue :-)

Interesting you mention that the 70-200mm f4 G is beautifully well balanced on the A7/R Barney, many have suggested it's 'too big' but it looks pretty good to me. Care to share a few more thoughts on the feel of the two together?

JustDavid, people who compare MF viewfinders to the cheap imitation consumer cameras don't know what they are missing out on. And Pentax 645 is still very small viewfinder, since it's a crop is quite small by MF standards.

It would require new lenses to work with a svelte body.Remember that goofy Pentax mirrorless? It was so thick because they could not compress the space of the traditional mirror box and keep compatibility with the lenses.It is easier to put traditional lenses on thin mirrorless bodies (just add a distance ring that can mount) than the other way round.But conceptually: yes it would be good to see a very portable camera with MF sensor. I have a Fuji 6x45 AF MF camera, it looks like a 35mm compact camera on steroids but it is still very portable. Such a device in digital format with big sensor would be awesome.

right, a mirrorless on the base of the 6x45 Fuji, the Pentacon 6, or Mamyia 7, that would be the hammer. Mamyia made a camera of that kind, the ZD, they abondoned the project because US Mamyia representative boycotted it and refused to sell it in the US. It was classic VF, but quiet compact.

More about gear in this article

Our friends and collaborators over at DxOMark have been looking into how lenses score on specific cameras, and their latest round-up takes a look at Sony's 24MP full frame flagship, the SLT-A99. The article covers 22 lenses, including both current models from the likes of Sony, Sigma and Zeiss, and some older Konica Minolta optics. They've published a number of reviews of new Sony-mount lenses alongside, including the 300mm F2.8 G II SSM telephoto and the Tamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di USD, plus the ZEISS Touits for NEX cameras. Click through for the links.

Sony has announced firmware updates for its SLT-A37, A57, A65, A77 and A99 digital SLRs. Firmware version 1.01 for the SLT-A99 adds Dual-AF compatibility with key A-mount lenses. Updates for the rest of the SLTs including the A99 add automatic lens correction with several A-mount lenses. Click through for more details and a link to the updates.

Sony has announced it plans to release several firmware updates for A-mount and E-mount systems on February 4, 2013. Updates to Alpha and NEX bodies relate mostly to lenses, including the addition of Dual-AF support for 11 lenses on the A99, and Fast Hybrid AF support for six E-mount lenses on the NEX-5R and NEX-6, among others. Three E-mount lenses also get updates to enable Fast Hybrid AF support. See table below for more detail on which bodies and lenses will get updates.

Just Posted: Our review of the Sony Alpha SLT-A99. The A99 is Sony's flagship SLT camera - featuring a 24MP full-frame sensor and dual AF system, along with the level of build and direct control you'd expect from a range-topping model. We've put the A99 through its paces in a variety of situations, including an investigation of how its AF depth control performs in challenging shooting conditions. We've also looked at the advantages the SLT system and articulated screen bring to a camera at this level, as well as looking at their downsides. Click here to find out what we concluded.

Just Posted: Full-size, real world samples from the Sony A99. We've been shooting with Sony's latest full-frame flagship camera down in San Francisco and Monterey, California as part of a Sony press trip - our first opportunity to get hold of a production-standard camera. We've put together a samples gallery taken in a variety of lighting conditions and at a range of apertures and featuring multiple subjects. Click through to see how the 24MP camera performs.

Many cameras today include built-in image stabilization systems, but when it comes to video that's still no substitute for a proper camera stabilization rig. The Ronin-S aims to solve that problem for DSLR and mirrorless camera users, and we think DJI has delivered on that promise.

Latest buying guides

If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck.

What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best.

Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Sony mirrorlses cameras in several categories to make your decisions easier.

Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Canon DSLRs in several categories to make your decisions easier.

Professional commercial photographer Moe Lauchert shares an incredible gallery of film photographs he captured on Ilford HP5 with a Nikonos 5 while serving as a diver at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas.

We've been shooting with a beta version of the Sony a9's upcoming firmware 5.0. While there's much more analysis to come, we can say it makes for a dead simple AF tracking user experience. Take a look at some of our samples.

The Tamron 17-35mm F2.8-4 is a compact and light-weight lens for full-frame Canon and Nikon DSLRs. We took it on grand tour of Seattle's top tourist spots and found it makes a pleasant, albeit wide, walking around lens.

Fujifilm has announced its new GF 100-200mm F5.6 R LM OIS WR tele-zoom lens. The lens, equivalent to 79-158mm when mounted on a GFX camera, has image stabilization (with a claimed 5 stops of shake reduction), a linear AF motor and weather-sealing.

Amongst all of the camera news yesterday, Sony also announced its new Imaging Edge mobile app, which replaces PlayMemories Mobile. Three desktop applications have also been updated, adding support for time-lapse movie creation.

Our intrepid team is in San Diego, for the launch of the new Sony a6400. In this short overview video, Carey, Chris and Jordan talk through the main specifications of the new camera, and what they might mean for photographers and videographers.

The Sony a6400 is the company's new midrange mirrorless camera, whose standout features include an advanced autofocus system, flip-up touchscreen LCD and oversampled 4K footage with Log support. Learn more as we go hands-on with the a6400.

Sony has announced major firmware updates for the a7R III, a7 III and a9. All three cameras gain improved Eye-AF, the ability to recognize and focus on animals' eyes, and timelapse capability. The a9 gets more sophisticated subject tracking.